Marketing Ideas and Interactive Marketing Products For Direct Mail

Response rates generated by promotional pop-up mailers are known to be far in excess of those created by bog-standard leaflets and flyers but what is it about pop-up mailers that make them such a success as direct mailing pieces? The answer lies in one word and that word is “interactive”. Here are some suggestions and ideas for interactive marketing products but first, I should perhaps try to define what I mean by interactive.

“Interactive” is one of those new words that is used a lot in marketing but what exactly is an interactive mailer or interactive marketing product? Let’s try this for an explanation – once the user has opened the promotional mailing pack and has experienced the surprise of the pop-up, the next thing to happen, almost inevitably, is that the pop-up mailer is put back in the pack and the user does it all over again! After that the pop-up mailer is put back in the pack once again and passed to an unsuspecting colleague. When I refer to promotional pop-ups as interactive mailers, that’s what I mean.

Pop-up mailers have a combination of positive attributes that are not always present in standard promotional print. Let’s look at automatic pop-up products as an example. Powered by rubber bands, the various pop-up items all bring with them the element of surprise which inevitably leads to laughter – so they are fun products. That fact alone already puts pop-up mailers higher up the league table that an A4 flyer.

However, not all interactive mailers have a pop-up action – but they still make very successful direct mail pieces. In these instances the interaction might be different but nonetheless, the reader will perform a level interaction with the marketing product which will make a very significant contribution to the success of the campaign.

There are many types of interactive mailers and each has something different to offer that gives them that something extra. It might be the fact that the product has a long desk top life such as promotional penholders, pen pots and desk tidies which stay on desktops for absolutely ages giving your message a very long exposure indeed. Cardboard-engineered pen pots are supplied flat in a size suitable to fit standard envelopes and are erected by one simple interactive push-up action that makes them a popular choice as a promotional mailer.

It could be that the movement fits perfectly with an advertising message. Take interactive marketing products that turn, for example. I don’t think that enough use is made of the humble eyelet in the design of promotional marketing products. The simple task of eyeletting can add car wheels that turn, steering wheels, turning hands on a clock, items that spin such as propellers – all kinds of things – and each with an interactive turning movement.

Another type of mailer has an interactive movement that makes pictures change. These promotional advertising products are known as dissolvers and are heaven-sent for a multitude of advertisers. The old classic theme of “before” and “after” pictures is brought up-to-date by these tremendously interactive advertising products. Absolutely everything is down to the smooth way in which, by the simple interactive pull of a card, the picture at the focus of all your attention changes from one scene to another.

Or how about interactive marketing products that jump. Promotional products in the “Jack in a box” or “Crackerjack” style offer much more of a surprise than you would ever imagine from the size of the pack. They have a very high and instant impact and are very successful at drawing attention to any campaign. Even when the person opening the pack knows exactly what is going to happen next you will see that they open the pack with some trepidation – being wary of the crackerjack effect.

Assuming that the advertising and marketing agencies have done their jobs well and assuming that the direct marketing team are sending the interactive mailer only to serious business-to-business sales prospects then you have a winning formula for a successful promotional mailing campaign.